5 .
A L T E
N A T I O N A L G A
L E R I E
BODESTRASSE 1-3
The Alte Nationalgalerie is the original home of the
Nationalgalerie , whose collections today are divided
between the Neue Nationalgalerie , the Hamburger
Bahnhof – Museum für Gegenwart – Berlin , the
Friedrichswerdersche Kirche , Museum Berggruen and the
Sammlung Scharf - Gerstenberg .
The idea of establishing a cultural and educational
centre across from the Berlin Palace dates back to the
time of Friedrich Wilhelm IV , who dreamt of creating a
" sanctuary for art and science " on the site . The basic
architectural concept for the Alte Nationalgalerie – a
temple - like building raised on a plinth decorated with
motifs from antiquity – came from the king himself . The
building was designed by Friedrich August Stüler , a
student of Schinkel who also designed the Neues
Museum . It was completed after Stüler ’ s death by
another of Schinkel ’ s students , Johann Heinrich Strack .
The initial impetus for the construction of the
Nationalgalerie was a bequest to the Prussian state in
1861 from the banker and consul Johann Heinrich
Wilhelm Wagener , whose collection featured works by
Caspar David Friedrich , Karl Friedrich Schinkel , painters
from the Düsseldorf school , and history painters from
Belgium . The bequest came with the stipulation that the
paintings were to be publicly displayed in a " suitable
location ". Just one year later Stüler received the
commission to draw up plans for the building . After ten
years of construction the Nationalgalerie ceremoniously
opened on 21 March 1876 for the birthday of Kaiser
Wilhelm I , becoming the third museum on the island in
the Spree .
The building suffered direct hits on several occasions
during the aerial bombardment of the Second World
War , sustaining heavy damage particularly after 1944 .
The collection itself had gradually been evacuated with
the war ’ s onset . Among other places , it was stored in
Berlin ’ s anti - aircraft towers near the zoo and in
Friedrichshain , as well as in the salt and potash
repositories in Merkers and Grasleben .